Srinagar, May 13: Fruit growers’ representatives have urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to implement a crop insurance scheme and announce compensation for orchard owners after severe hailstorms and strong winds caused extensive damage to orchards across north and south Kashmir over the past month.
In a representation addressed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union and President of the New Kashmir Fruit Association, said a major hailstorm accompanied by strong winds on May 12 caused widespread destruction in orchards across several parts of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
According to the growers’ body, the worst affected areas included Sangrama, Wagoora, Kreeri, Pattan, Mamoosa, Chandoosa, Tangmarg, Khairpora and parts of Rafiabad, where apple orchards suffered heavy losses during the storm.
The representation also referred to another hailstorm that struck south Kashmir on April 18, affecting orchards in Shopian and neighbouring areas of Kulgam, including Kanipora, Kanjiullar and Ramnagri.
Fruit growers said repeated weather-related disasters had severely impacted Kashmir’s horticulture sector, which is regarded as one of the major contributors to the Union Territory’s economy and supports lakhs of families directly and indirectly.
The growers claimed that many orchard owners had invested heavily in anticipation of a productive fruit season this year, but the hailstorms in April and May destroyed blossoms, fruit-bearing trees and crops, leading to widespread distress among farming families.
The representation stated that despite repeated government assurances and announcements regarding implementation of a crop insurance scheme for horticulture during 2025-26, the sector still remains outside any formal insurance safety mechanism.
The growers also demanded the reintroduction of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for fallen and lower-grade fruit, stating that the earlier scheme had provided support to orchardists facing losses due to natural calamities.
Bashir Ahmad Basheer urged the government to implement a crop insurance scheme for the horticulture sector, restore the Market Intervention Scheme and announce a comprehensive compensation package for affected orchard owners.
The growers’ body said nearly 90 per cent of orchard owners in Kashmir are marginal fruit growers whose livelihoods and household expenses depend largely on income generated from orchards, making them highly vulnerable to repeated weather shocks.
